Privacy policy | The Science Department

Last updated: September 2026

ScienceDepartment.co.uk respects the privacy of its visitors and aims to be clear about how information is collected and used when you visit this website.

For the purposes of this policy, ScienceDepartment.co.uk may also be referred to as "we", "us" or "the site owner".

1. About this website

ScienceDepartment.co.uk is an educational website providing science teaching, learning and revision resources.

Visitors do not need to create an account to use the website, and ScienceDepartment.co.uk does not operate a newsletter or mailing list.

If you have a question about this privacy policy or the use of personal information on the website, you can contact the site owner using the contact details provided on the website.

2. Information we collect

Most of the website can be used without providing personal information directly to us.

However, some information may be collected automatically when you visit the website. This may include:

• Your IP address;

• Browser and device information;

• Approximate location based on your IP address;

• Pages visited;

• The date and time of visits;

• Referring pages or websites; and

• Information about how visitors use the website.

This information may be collected through server logs, cookies and services such as Google Analytics and Google AdSense.

If you contact us directly, we may also receive information that you choose to provide, such as your email address and the contents of your message.

3. How we use information

Information collected through the website may be used to:

• Operate and maintain the website;

• Understand how visitors use the website;

• Identify technical problems;

• Improve the content and usability of the website;

• Protect the website against misuse or security threats;

• Respond to messages sent to us; and

• Display and measure advertising where appropriate.

We do not sell visitors' personal information.

4. Legal basis for processing

Where UK data protection law applies, personal information is processed only where there is an appropriate lawful basis.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• Consent – for certain non-essential cookies and similar technologies where consent is required.

• Legitimate interests – where information is reasonably necessary to operate, maintain, secure and improve the website, provided those interests do not override the rights of visitors.

• Legal obligation – where information must be processed to comply with a legal requirement.

Where processing relies on consent, you can withdraw or change that consent using the website's cookie controls.

5. Google Analytics

ScienceDepartment.co.uk may use Google Analytics to help understand how visitors use the website.

Google Analytics may collect information such as pages visited, approximate location, browser information, device information and how visitors interact with the website.

Analytics technologies that are not strictly necessary will only be used in accordance with the visitor's cookie consent choices where consent is required.

Information collected by Google is also subject to Google's own privacy policies and terms.

6. Google AdSense and advertising

Some pages on ScienceDepartment.co.uk contain advertising provided through Google AdSense.

Google and its advertising partners may use cookies or similar technologies for purposes such as:

• Displaying advertisements;

• Measuring advertising performance;

• Limiting how often an advertisement is shown;

• Detecting fraud and misuse; and

• Where the visitor has given the appropriate consent, personalising advertising.

The advertising and tracking technologies used depend on the visitor's consent choices and applicable legal requirements.

Visitors can accept, reject or manage non-essential cookies through the cookie consent controls provided on the website.

Google may process information in accordance with its own privacy policies.

7. Cookies

Cookies are small files that websites can place on a visitor's device.

ScienceDepartment.co.uk may use several types of cookies:

Essential cookies

These are necessary for the website to operate correctly and do not require consent where they are strictly necessary.

Analytics cookies

These help us understand how visitors use the website so that we can improve it.

Advertising cookies

These may be used by Google and advertising partners to provide, measure and manage advertising.

Where required by law, analytics and advertising cookies will not be used until the visitor has made an appropriate consent choice.

Visitors can change their cookie preferences using the website's cookie controls.

More information about the cookies used on this website is available in our Cookie Policy.

8. Third-party services

ScienceDepartment.co.uk uses third-party services that may process information about visitors.

These may include:

• Google Analytics;

• Google AdSense; and

• Website hosting and technical service providers.

These providers may process information on our behalf or for their own purposes in accordance with their privacy policies.

Some providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this happens, appropriate data protection safeguards are used where required by law.

9. How long information is kept

Personal information is kept only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

For example:

• Technical and server log information may be retained for a limited period for security and troubleshooting;

• Analytics information is retained according to the settings used for the analytics service; and

• Messages sent directly to us may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to the enquiry or deal with any related issue.

Information that is no longer required will be deleted or anonymised where appropriate.

10. Children's privacy

ScienceDepartment.co.uk provides educational resources that may be used by children and young people.

The website does not require users to create accounts and does not intentionally ask children to provide unnecessary personal information.

Children and young people should avoid including unnecessary personal information when contacting the website.

Where cookies or other technologies require consent, appropriate consent controls are provided in accordance with applicable requirements.

11. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law may give you rights concerning your personal information, including the right to:

• Ask for access to personal information held about you;

• Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;

• Ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances;

• Ask for the use of your information to be restricted;

• Object to certain uses of your information;

• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and

• Make a complaint about how your personal information has been handled.

Not every right applies in every situation.

If you wish to exercise a data protection right, please contact the site owner using the contact details provided on the website.

12. Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact the site owner first so that the issue can be investigated.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Information about data protection rights and making a complaint is available from the ICO.

13. External links

ScienceDepartment.co.uk may contain links to other websites.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites. Visitors should review the privacy information provided by those websites separately.

14. Changes to this policy

This privacy policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to the website, services used or legal requirements.

The date at the top of this page shows when the policy was last updated.

15. Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how information is used on ScienceDepartment.co.uk, please contact:

ScienceDepartment.co.uk – Site Owner

using the contact page provided on this website.